Doctoral school of energy and geotechnology
January 16–21, 2006. Kuressaare, Estonia
Emergency Lighting
Jelena Armas, Juhan Laugis
Tallinn University of Technology
arrrmas@hot.ee
Abstract
Emergency lighting luminaires and modules can
help to save lives. They should be constructed in
accordance with appropriate standards, assembled
in a factory employing recognized and suitable
quality assurance procedures, and correctly
installed in accordance with correct performance
data. Minimum standards of illumination are
required so that people may move safely within the
works, including if they have to escape. In addition,
escape routes are required to provide secure and
adequate lighting, capable of operating despite
failure of the electrical supply.
Keywords
Emergency lighting, escape route, escape
luminaries, illumination, anti-panic lighting, safety
lighting for workplaces, high risk task area lighting,
safety signs.
1. Introduction
Some directives controls the way that the building
will be used and the equipment and systems needed
to safeguard the occupants. The legal requirement is
that - “Emergency routes and exits requiring
illumination must be provided with emergency
lighting of adequate intensity in case the lighting
fails”.
The main reason for installing an emergency lighting
system is to enable the building to meet fire safety
legislation in a way that is visually acceptable and
meets the user’s needs for ease of operation and
maintenance. Consequently it is important to
establish all the relevant legal requirements for
emergency lighting and fire alarm systems before
commencing the design these should ideally be
agreed between the system designer, user, fire
authority, building control officer and system
installer.
2. Emergency lighting
Emergency lighting is an essential part of the
building services installation Fig.1.
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For the purposes of the European standard EN 1838,
emergency lighting is regarded as a generic term of
which there are a number of specific forms, as
shown in the figure below:
Fig. 1
Emergency escape lighting-that part of emergency
lighting provided to enable safe exit in the event of
failure of the normal supply.
Standby lighting-that part of emergency lighting
provided to enable normal activities to continue in
the event of failure of the normal mains supply.
Stand-by lighting represents a part of the emergency
lighting required to enable necessary tasks to be
continued without any essential change. If the stand-
by lighting generates an illumination level that is
below the minimum level of the general lighting
system, it may only be used in order to close or
complete a work process.
There are three types of safety lighting: safety
lighting for escape routes, anti-panic lighting and
safety lighting for workplaces exposed to special
hazards.
Escape route lighting- that part of emergency
lighting provided to enable safe exit for building
occupants by providing appropriate visual
conditions and direction finding on escape routes
and in special areas/locations, and to ensure that fire
fighting and safety equipment can be readily located
and used. Safety lighting for escape routes is at least
twice as bright as the moon on a clear night, namely
1 lux. It thus provides adequate visibility and good
orientation, enabling evacuees to find their way so
that they can leave the building safely. This is
guaranteed by ensuring a minimum illuminance of >
1 lux horizontal on the ground with an evenness of
1:40. In order to guide people leaving the building,
the escape routes are marked with escape sign
luminaries or illuminated signs.
Open area (or anti-panic area) lighting-that part of
emergency escape lighting provided to reduce the
likelihood of panic and to enable safe movement of
occupants towards escape routes by providing
appropriate visual conditions and direction finding.
Anti-panic lighting is the minimum basic lighting
needed to enable evacuees to reach emergency exits
safely.
High risk task area lighting-that part of emergency
lighting provided to ensure the safety of people
involved in a potentially dangerous process or
situation and to enable proper shut down procedures
to be carried out for the safety of other occupants of
the premises.
Safety lighting for workplaces exposed to special
hazards must be installed where direct risks of
accident, or special risks for other employs, occur
when the general lighting system fails. Workplaces
exposed to special hazards that might be near
moving machinery, for example.
3. Emergency lighting system design
There are a number of points that are of major
importance to emergency lighting system design.
• The evaluation of areas with a fire risk assists
when deciding which areas need protection, e.g. a
school chemical laboratory may be smaller than
60m² but still need emergency lighting, as
combustible materials and sources of ignition would
be present
• The assessment of the location of employees and
any visitors to the site assist in determining the most
appropriate escape routes
• The guidance to the directive gives detailed
requirements for the suitability of escape routes and
calls for the installation of emergency lighting to be
in accordance with British Standard BS 5266-1
• It recommends that advice on the installation
should be given by a competent person who
specializes in emergency lighting systems
• Continued maintenance and testing must be
correctly carried out, to comply with the directive
• The equipment used must be capable of being
demonstrated as of adequate quality. Compliance
with the appropriate British Standard, or other
approved third party scheme, gives evidence of this.
The standard for luminaries is BS EN 60598-2-22.
The standard for central battery systems is BS EN
50171
Note: When the premises are being assessed for risk,
shortcomings in other areas of fire protection can be
compensated for by improved levels of emergency
lighting and fire alarms.
Compliance with BS5266-1:1999 is deemed to
comply with these requirements.
When referring to the provision of Escape Lighting
in section 4.2 (BS 5266), requires that when the
supply to all or part of the normal lighting in
occupied premises fails, escape lighting is required
to fulfill the following function:
(a) To indicate clearly and unambiguously the
escape routes.
(b) To provide illumination along such routes to
allow safe movement towards and through the exits
provided.
(c) To ensure that fire alarm call points and fire
fighting equipment provided along escape routes can
be readily located.
(d) To permit operations concerned with safety
measures.
BS 5266-1 recommends that discussions should be
held prior to commencing the design, to establish the
areas to be covered, the method of operation, the
testing regime and the most suitable type of system.
These discussions should include the owner or
occupier of the premises, the system designer, the
installer, the supplier of the equipment and the fire
authority.
4. Pre-Design
Before designing an emergency lighting scheme the
following information needs to be determined from
the site drawings or from the specifies:
1. The duration of the emergency lighting:
a) Three hour duration is required in places of
entertainment and for sleeping risk;
b) Three hour duration is required if evacuation is
not immediate, or early re-occupation is likely to
occur;
c) One hour duration may be acceptable, in some
premises, if evacuation is immediate and re-
occupation is delayed until the system has
recharged.
2. Emergency lighting should be of the maintained
type in areas in which the normal lighting can be
dimmed. In addition, the draft standard prEN 50172
stipulates that emergency lighting is of the
maintained type in common areas within shopping
malls where a build-up of smoke could reduce the
effectiveness of normal lighting.
3. The draft standard prEN 50172 Emergency escape
lighting systems requires that exit signs are of the
maintained type where the premises are used by
people who are unfamiliar with its layout.
4. Building plans need to be assembled showing the
location of the fire alarm call point positions, the
positions of fire fighting equipment, and fire and
safety signs.
5. Emergency escape routes should be established,
and potential hazards investigated.
6. Open areas larger than 60m² floor area should be
identified.
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7. High risk task areas should be identified and
normal lighting levels established.
8. The need for external illumination outside final
exit doors and on a route to a place of safety should
be determined.
9. Other areas that need illumination, although not
part of the escape route, should be located, e.g. lifts,
moving stairways and walkways, plant rooms and
toilet accommodation over 8m² gross area.
10. If a central system is being used, the locations of
central battery units and cable runs should be
established in areas of low fire risk.
11. For non-maintained applications the area
covered by the final circuit of the normal lighting
has to be determined as it must be monitored by the Fig. 2 Specific location of luminaries
central system. Non-maintained self-contained
luminaries must be fed from that final circuit.
12. Standby lighting requirements should be
established if activities need to continue during a
failure of the normal lighting supply.
13. The customer’s preference and operating
considerations should be ascertained, e.g. ceiling
heights, mounting heights or wall mounting.

5. Design Objective
When the supply to any part of the normal lighting
fails, the requirements of BS 5266 and EN 1838
apply and escape lighting is required to fulfill the
following functions:
1. Show clearly and unambiguously the escape
routes.
2. Provide illumination along such routes to allow
safe movement towards and through the exits
provided.
3. Ensure that fire alarm call points and fire fighting
equipment provided along escape routes can be
readily located.
4. Allow operations concerned with safety measures
to continue.
Locate luminaries at points of emphasis. These are
mandatory locations to cover specific hazards and to
highlight safety equipment and signs.
This should be performed regardless of whether the
area is an emergency escape route or defined as an
open area. Only when this is accomplished should
the type of luminary or its light output be
considered.
(a) Near stairs (Fig.2)
On long flights of stairs more than one luminary will
be required so that each tread receives direct light.
(b) Near changes of level (Fig.2)
(c) Near each change of direction (Fig.2)
(d) To illuminate Exit doors and safety signs (Fig.2)
‘Near’ is defined as being within 2m of horizontal
height.
Fig. 3. Specific location of luminaries
(e)Near each piece of fire fighting equipment or call
point
This luminary also illuminates change of direction.
(f) Outside and near to each final exit
(g) Near each First Aid point new category not
previously covered in BS5266
This luminary also illuminates change of direction.
6. Emergency Signs
Viewing distances are given in the draft standard EN
1838 as 200 x H for internally illuminated signs, and
100 x H for externally illuminated signs where H is
the height of the pictogram.
Signs which are provided at all exits intended to be
used in an emergency and along escape routes shall
be illuminated to indicate unambiguously the route
of escape to a point of safety. Where direct sight of
an emergency exit is not possible, an illuminated
directional sign (or series of signs) shall be provided
to assist progression towards the emergency exit.
• Sign formats should not be mixed
- BS2560: 1975 Old-style signs now obsolete.
Should have been replaced by December 1998

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- BS 5499 Pt 1 Signs are still acceptable, if they are
already in the building
- European Signs Directive Format. This came into
force on 1st April 1996, under The Signs Directive
If there is any doubt as to the most appropriate
format of sign, guidance should be obtained from the
local Fire Authority.
• Maximum viewing distances
For all format of safety signs the maximum viewing
distances and luminance conditions are given in BS
5266 pt7/EN 1838 Signs can be either internally
illuminated, such as exit boxes or edge lit emergency
luminaries with a screened sign that have a
controlled illuminance, or painted signs with an
external emergency light illuminating them.
Maximum viewing distances are: internally
illuminated signs - 200 x the panel height, externally
illuminated signs - 100 x the panel height
Fig. 4 Maximum viewing distances
• Illumination requirements
The sign must conform to the colors, which defines
that exit and first aid signs must be white with green
as the contrast color. The ratio of luminance of the
white color to the green color must be between 5:1
and 15:1. The minimum luminance of any 10mm
patch area on the sign must be greater than 2cd/m2
and the ratio of maximum to minimum luminance
shall be less than 10:1 for either color (Fig.7)
Fig. 5 Illumination requirements
Internally illuminated exit signs are pre-tested to
ensure they meet these requirements, provided that
they comply with EN 60598-2-22.
If the sign is designed to be externally illuminated,
considerable care must be taken by the system
designer to see that these conditions are met. Even
though an emergency luminary must be sited within
2 meters from the sign calculations should still be
made to check that the sign is adequately
illuminated.
6.1 Additional emergency lighting
Additional emergency lighting should be provided at
these locations:
(a) Lift cars. Although they may be part of the
escape route in exceptional circumstances, they may
present a problem if the public are trapped in them
in the event of a supply failure.
(b) Toilet facilities and other open tiled areas
exceeding 8m² floor area and all toilets for the
disabled.
(c) Escalators, to enable users to get off them safely.
(d) Motor generator, control or plant rooms require
battery supplied emergency lighting to help any
maintenance or operating personnel.
(e) Covered car parks along the normal pedestrian
routes.
These locations are not part of the escape route but
because of their risk they require protection by
emergency lighting.
7. Escape route lighting
In addition to luminaries at the points of emphasis, it
may be necessary to provide extra luminaries to
ensure that minimum light (illuminance) levels are
met along the whole escape route. For 2m wide
escape routes, the illuminance is specified along the
centre line with 50% of that illuminance over the 1
meter wide central band. Wider routes should be
treated as open areas or as multiple routes.
The European standard EN 1838 requires 1 lux
along the centre line of escape routes including those
with minor obstructions such as hotel trolleys. The
UK has a National Exception which recommends 1
lux but accepts 0.2 lux along the centre line for
permanently unobstructed escape routes, with the
points of emphasis illuminated to 1 lux.
BS 5266: Pt 1: 1988 will be amended to reflect this
requirement.
BS 5266 and prEN 50172 recommend using a larger
number of low power luminaries rather than a few
high power units. In this way, no part of the escape
route is lit by just one luminary. Thus, if a luminary
fails, the route will not be plunged into darkness.
Spacing tables Tab.1 provide the information to help
decide whether or not additional fittings are needed
besides those required for the points of emphasis.
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Tab.1
The use of spacing tables or a suitable computer
program provides the information to determine
whether luminaries are needed in addition to those
for the points of emphasis to provide the minimum
required level of illumination on the escape routes.
To ensure that the design will meet the required
levels at all times the data is de-rated, as required by
the standard, to cover the following factors:
1. Reduction in light as the battery voltage reduces
during discharge.
2. Aging of lamps in maintained circuits
3. The effects of dirt (Spacing tables use a figure of
80%).
Locate luminaries at mandatory “Points of
emphasis”
Add additional luminary to achieve 1 lux minimum
8. Open (anti-panic) core areas
Emergency lighting is required for areas larger than
60m² or open areas with an escape route passing
through.
BS 5266 requires 1 lux average over the floor area.
The European standard EN 1838 requires 0.5 lux
minimum anywhere on the floor level excluding the
shadowing effects of contents. The core area
excludes the 0.5m to the perimeter of the area.
Spacing tables (Tab.2) provide simple and accurate
data that can easily be used.
These assume a regular array of emergency
luminaries.
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Fig. 6 Example - luminary spacing along escape
route
Tab. 2
Escape routes 1 lux minimum
Open areas 0.5 lux minimum in
core area
Additional areas ( e.g. 0.5 lux minimum
lifts, escalators )
High risk task areas 10% of normal
illumination
Specific data is available for self-contained
dedicated emergency luminaries. This can be found
on each of the individual product entries in
catalogue. The data details the polar distribution for
common types of luminaries, from which a suitable
match should be selected.
The factors considered should be the shape of the
polar curve and the scale, which is shown by the
nadir intensity. Alternatively, a computer program
can be used and the light outputs of the appropriate
kit can be used with the actual distribution data of
the luminary chosen.
High risk task area lighting requires that higher
levels of emergency lighting are provided in areas of
particular risk, although no values are defined.
The European standard EN 1838 says that the
average horizontal illuminance on the reference
plane (note that this is not necessarily the floor)
should be as high as the task demands in areas of
high risk. It should not be less than 10% of the
normal illuminance, or 15 lux, whichever is the
greater. It should be provided within 0.5 seconds and
continue for as long as the hazard exists. This can
normally only be achieved by a tungsten or a
permanently illuminated maintained fluorescent
lamp source.
The required illuminance can often be achieved by
careful location of emergency luminaries at the
hazard and may not require additional fittings
9. Control Two different network structures can be used for
safety lighting systems. In 2-wire networks, the
In the field of emergency lighting there are two directly earthed conductor and the phase of the
switching modes: maintained or non-maintained. If a mains voltage supply are used. A central switch-over
non-maintained system is on standby, the lamps are unit separates the conductor from the network and
not switched on under normal operating conditions. connects it to the standby voltage. No additional
The safety lighting is activated by a failure or drop installation work is necessary. In 4-wire networks,
in the mains voltage of the general lighting system. the standby voltage is fed to the safety luminary via
When the mains supply returns, the safety lighting is two separate lines. The switch-over from mains to
automatically switched off and the general lighting standby voltage takes place in the luminary itself.
system resumes its function. If the safety system is
in constant service, it runs whenever it is required, Central batteries provide a substitute electricity
i.e. whenever there are people in the building or the source for the entire building or parts thereof and
normal illumination system is not in operation, it is a include a main monitoring facility, recharge, battery
maintained system. In rooms that are illuminated space and an electric circuit distributor.
sufficiently by daylight, cannot be darkened for The standby voltage is fed to the emergency
operating reasons or are not permanently occupied, luminary or the escape sign luminary via a two or
it is permissible for the safety lighting to be switched four-wire network. As maximum deviations of
via the normal lighting. If the mains voltage fails or ±10% are permissible with the nominal voltage, the
drops, the safety lighting is switched to standby ballasts used offer a power constancy function that
mode and starts up, irrespective of the setting of the maintains the light flux at 100% within a voltage
light switch. range of 176V-254V (DC).
In emergency operation, it is assumed that the mains Group Battery function in more or less the same way
supply for the lighting system is not guaranteed in as central batteries. A group battery system may
one section of the building. DIN VDE 0108 thus supply a maximum of 20 safety lights. The two or
specifies requirements and constructional four-wire network is used.
regulations for the safety power supply. The
following are permitted as substitute electricity Single batteries supply one single luminary with
sources: electricity. The recharge, control gear and battery
pack are incorporated into the luminary. Single-
Tab. 3 battery luminaries are also often used for general
lighting systems and are thus switched with this. An
Units: Substitute (switch-over unswitched phase must be fed into the luminary so
generating units time <15 Sek.) that the batteries can be charged and the system can
Quick-start (switch-over switch over to battery operation in the event of a
standby units time <0,5 Sek.) failure in the power supply.
No-break stand- (without switch- Operating Luminaries using Dimmable Electronic
by generating over time) Ballasts ( EB) 1-10V control voltage provides the
units control current during operation with standby
voltage; the control current is taken from the current
Battery- Central battery
sink (e.g. potentiometer). It is irrelevant whether the
supported systems
emergency voltage is AC or DC. A separation of the
substitute Group battery control current circuit is necessary during
electricity systems emergency operation since the light flux specified by
sources: Single battery the current sink remains set during emergency
systems operation.
Second Electricity from a second, specially Digital control signal Digital Addressable Lighting
mains protected mains supply interface (DALI): when the power supply failure is
supply: of duration < 0.5 seconds, the electronic ballast
maintains the most recent value. As faster switch-
Visual tasks of Safety Lighting: over times are required with emergency lighting, at
this point, the central control logic has to set the
Escape routes desired light flux. Separation of the control line - as
- roughly identify details with 1-10V control - has no effect on the light flux
set.
- identify obstacles (e.g. stairs, landings, etc.)
- identify escape signs In order to limit the power consumption of the
ballast, and thus to increase the capacity of the
Workplaces exposed to special hazards substitute electricity source, a reduced light flux
- identify details (finish the job and read measuring during emergency operation can also be
equipment safely) intentionally set.
- identify safety sign colors

143
10. Conclusion
If your premises are never occupied during the hours
of darkness and have adequate natural lighting
through windows, etc., then you may not need to
provide emergency lighting. Even if your premises
are used at night, there may be sufficient ‘borrowed’
light from street lighting to illuminate the escape
routes. You may wish to provide torches or other
forms of temporary (emergency) lighting in very
small premises. However, you would have to decide
within your risk assessment whether these are
realistically going to be adequate, and if so, you
should put procedures in place to make sure that
they will be available and serviceable when
required. These methods are unlikely to be adequate
if your premises have complicated escape routes,
staircases, or if members of the public are present
(as they will be unfamiliar with the building).
In a fire situation it takes less than thirty seconds for
conventional lighting and escape route signage to be
rendered totally ineffective. Inevitably building
occupants, in often unfamiliar surroundings, are
faced with reduced visibility and poor directional
guidance, frequently leading to panic and
disorientation. As a result, people have been known
to die tragically only a few meters from exits which
could have led them to safety. Mounted emergency
lighting systems clearly identify the escape path and
illuminate the escape route, thus improving
evacuation times, reducing panic and ultimately
saving lives
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References
1. EVS-EN 1838:2000 Valgustehnika. Häda-
valgustus.
2. J.E. Kaufman, J.F. Christensen, IES Lighting
Handbook, 1987.
3. ICEL 1006: Emergency lighting design
guide, United Kingdom, May 1999.
4. Emergency Lighting Design Guide, 2004
5. EN 1838 Lighting applications – Emergency
lighting.
6. EN 60598-2-22 Luminaries Part 2: Particular
requirements, Section 22:Luminaries
forEmergency lighting.
7. EN 60598-1 Luminaries Part 1: General
requirements and tests
8. EN 60598-2-1 Luminaries Part 2: Particular
requirements, Section 1: Fixed general purpose
Luminaries
9. EN 55015 Limits and methods of measure-
ment of radio interference characteristics of
fluorescent lighting
10. EVS-EN 50172:2005 Evakuatsiooni häda-
valgustussüsteemid
11. prEN 50172 Emergency escape lighting
systems
12. ISO 3864:1984 Safety colours and safety
signs